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hdm25 · November 10, 2002, 12:37 PM

Just my 2 cents...and it's an extreme example:

German soldiers in WWII most likely had little stomach for genocide but it was mandated that they participate. To me, this is obedience to the Rule of Law. Working within the system in this case would have done no good. DISobedience, however, by a large enough force of soldiers, would have done quite a bit of good. The average German soldier was no more a monster than you or me, but he served as part of a larger entity that WAS a monster.

I respect the right of everyone to do as they please as long as others aren't affected by those decisions. I once held this belief to mean that another person's beliefs were as valid as mine and, as long as our actions (or inactions) didn't affect the other, then everything was fine...then I had an epiphany.

Implicit agreement with unjust laws by way of working "within the system" actually DOES harm me. My rights continue to be trod upon and nothing changes for the better. All of the conservatives working "within the system" have done NOTHING to STOP or REVERSE this flow of events. The only thing that they have done is slow it but it still continues.

I am not trying to "knock" the beliefs of anyone because I DO respect everyone's right to an opinion. I would just like to point out that very little is accomplished by trying to change "the system" from within. After all, by working "within the system", you are playing by the rules of the system and these rules are, by their very nature, against anything which would change them. Self-preservation is the highest instinct even in a man-made system.

You should never fight a battle on ground of your enemy's choosing if you can help it.

November 10, 2002, 12:37 PM	#91
hdm25 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Paragould, AR Posts: 263	Just my 2 cents...and it's an extreme example: German soldiers in WWII most likely had little stomach for genocide but it was mandated that they participate. To me, this is obedience to the Rule of Law. Working within the system in this case would have done no good. DISobedience, however, by a large enough force of soldiers, would have done quite a bit of good. The average German soldier was no more a monster than you or me, but he served as part of a larger entity that WAS a monster. I respect the right of everyone to do as they please as long as others aren't affected by those decisions. I once held this belief to mean that another person's beliefs were as valid as mine and, as long as our actions (or inactions) didn't affect the other, then everything was fine...then I had an epiphany. Implicit agreement with unjust laws by way of working "within the system" actually DOES harm me. My rights continue to be trod upon and nothing changes for the better. All of the conservatives working "within the system" have done NOTHING to STOP or REVERSE this flow of events. The only thing that they have done is slow it but it still continues. I am not trying to "knock" the beliefs of anyone because I DO respect everyone's right to an opinion. I would just like to point out that very little is accomplished by trying to change "the system" from within. After all, by working "within the system", you are playing by the rules of the system and these rules are, by their very nature, against anything which would change them. Self-preservation is the highest instinct even in a man-made system. You should never fight a battle on ground of your enemy's choosing if you can help it.